Interfering
by DeepDownSlytherin
Summary: Ted wonders if he should ask. He wonders if he really wants to know.


_The things I do when I'm left unsupervised at work! I want honest feedback on this one, because I'm not sure about it. I've never written anything from Ted's point-of-view, mostly because I'm female so I write women more naturally, but he's got to have some thoughts about his wife's family, right? I see this as being post-Azkaban breakout but pre-Sirius getting killed._

**Interfering**

She didn't say anything about it, but he could tell it was on her mind. He could always tell when something was bothering her- the slight furrowing of her brow, the distracted expression, the nervous energy. She reminded him rather more forcibly of her sister when she was worried, for what he remembered of Bellatrix from Hogwarts was that restlessness.

Over the years he had learned a few things about the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, and one of those things was that all of them, even Andy, had a side that was moody and secretive. It was born in them, a family trait, like gray eyes and straight noses. He had also learned a few things about his wife, and he knew she would talk to him when she was ready.

But this had gone on long enough that he was worried about her. Normally, he didn't bring up her sisters. He had made the mistake of asking her once, back when they had only just started going out, why she put up with Bellatrix. She had looked at him, confused, and simply said "she's my sister." For Andy, that was enough. No matter how they'd hurt her, no matter what they did to other people, they were still her sisters. She didn't speak of them often, and when she did it was detached, as though she was talking about someone else's family. Most of the time, she did an admirable job of forgetting...or at least of appearing to have forgotten. Loyalty was important to the Blacks, and despite having betrayed the family (in their eyes anyway), in some ways Andy's loyalty was still there.

The Ministry had come a few days after the breakout from Azkaban, just as they had a few years before when Sirius had escaped. She had answered all their questions agreeably. No, she had no idea where Bellatrix was. No, Bellatrix hadn't contacted her, and really, did they think she would contact someone whose own daughter was an Auror? Bella, she had told them briskly, was no fool, and if they wanted to question her family they might have better luck speaking to Mrs. Malfoy. Of course they hadn't found her. Narcissa wasn't a fool either.

He was the only one who had noticed her hands shaking. Since that day, she had been struggling. Ted found himself wondering if she had lied. If it were about anything else, he would say she would never lie to the Ministry, but this had always been a gray area for her. He was certain of one thing- she wouldn't lie to him.

But did he really want to ask?

He found her in the kitchen, ostensibly reading the paper, but in the few minutes he stood in the doorway watching her, her eyes didn't move at all.

"Andy?"

She jumped at the sound of her name, and then gave him a sort of forced smile.

"You scared me."

"Sorry, you were somewhere else."

"Yes, just thinking."

"About?"

She hesitated, and then shook her head faintly. "Nothing important."

He leaned against the counter and studied her. He knew she hadn't been sleeping well, and it was starting to show in dark circles under her eyes.

"Andy, what's going on? Really? I hate to see you so worried."

She sighed and looked down at her hands, and didn't even bother to pretend there was nothing. "It's exactly what you think. It's Bella."

He pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. "You know where she is?"

"No," she shook her head slowly. "No. Cissy does, but I don't think she could tell me even if she wanted to. _Fidelius_. And I don't know who the secret-keeper is," she gave a humorless smile. "Dumbledore isn't the only one who uses that charm."

"Okay," he took her hands so she would stop twisting them. "Have you seen her?"

"Bella? No."

"But you've seen Narcissa?"

She took a deep breath. She seemed relieved just to say it. That he was giving her a reason to by asking. "Yes. She came to see me."

"Why?"

"Why does Narcissa do anything? Bella told her to. She said...she said Bella wanted to see me."

He felt as though something cold was rushing through him, but he tried not to react.

"What did you tell her?"

"I reminded her that Nymphadora was an Auror, and that the Ministry has been watching me since Sirius escaped." He was secretly incredibly proud of her. Even as a fugitive, Bellatrix was not someone who you defied lightly, even less so when you shared blood. But he said nothing, because he sensed there was something else. "But there's a part of me...I wanted to see her. I still do. I hate myself for it because I know what she is and I know what she's done and...it's been fifteen years, and..."

She pulled her hands away from him and rose, pacing as much as she could in the confines of the kitchen. "She won't hurt me, but she would hurt you, or Dora if she got the chance, and for that alone I should hate her. I do. I'd kill her myself before I'd let that happen. But there's this part of me that I can't make go away, that wants to see her." She paused, mid-pace, and turned to him, looking desperately helpless. "I miss her."

He didn't say anything immediately, and she sat down again, energy spent. "Am I ever going to get away from them Ted?"

He'd be lying if he said Bellatrix didn't frighten him. Hell, she terrified him. A very powerful witch who was also a complete raving lunatic would frighten most people. Maybe he couldn't understand, but he couldn't blame her either.

"I can't tell you what to do Andy."

She smiled, a little wistfully, but it was the closest thing to a real smile he'd seen from her in awhile. "I know. I knew you'd say that. I didn't really want you to. I just needed you to be here. To ask. To listen."

"I can do that."

"Sometimes I wonder how you put up with all this drama."

"Well, I only married you for the money, you know."

"Bit of a nasty surprise for you when I was disowned then?"

"Quite. Only by then I was rather used to you."

She laughed, which was what he had been going for. He stood and kissed the top of her head. "Whatever you decide to do about your sister, I'm behind you."


End file.
